Photo: Krystie Lee
Texas-based Nu-rock outfit ColdWards recently released their latest single/music video, “Sunflower,” a song written by vocalist Zac Crosby after his mother took her own life.
The heartbreaking, poignant lyrics reveal the emotional turmoil left in the wake of untimely death:
“I’m sorry you couldn’t stay / I guess sunflowers go in November / The heavens scream your name / Sunflower.”
Formed in 2020, ColdWards comprises Zac Crosby (vocals, electronics), Michael Friese (guitar), Richie Hey (bas), and Paul Crosby, former drummer of the Grammy-nominated band Saliva. Almost immediately, ColdWards signed with Wake Up! Music Rocks, the rapidly growing indie label of Pepper Gomez.
In 2021, ColdWards released “Say Something,” followed by My Skeletons,” “Stained on You,” “Whirlwind,” “Bad News,” “Flatline,” “The Fire Inside,” featuring Jonathan Norris, and “Antidote.” In 2022, ColdWards dropped their debut album, Bloodwork, amassing well over one million streams on Spotify.
At the present juncture, ColdWards is putting the finishing touches on their EP, Bad News, slated for release in the near future.
Tattoo.com spoke with Zac Crosby to learn more about the emotional undercurrents of “Sunflower” and the future direction of ColdWards.
Tell us a little bit about how ColdWards started.
It was the end of 2020, and I got a call from my brother, Sean, about the possibility of starting a new project with our dad. I was pretty much on board from there. We talked over video chat, discussed creative direction, and we had our first song within a month or two. Never saw the light of day, but it was definitely the start of something really cool.
Have you always been a singer?
Pretty much, yeah. I was singing along to songs on the radio longer than I’m able to remember. With my dad being in Saliva, music was kinda always part of the equation. Growing up, I always wanted to sing and learn how to play literally anything, but singing was always my forte.
Tell us a little bit about how the song “Sunflower “was created. When did the idea come about and what does the song mean to you?
I started writing ‘Sunflower’ about two months after my mom tragically took her own life on November 23. I was the one who found her and the entire first verse is actually a very simplified recounting of those events. It was a song fueled by raw emotion, so I ended up writing the most personal song I’ve written in a long time.
Given the profound nature of “Sunflower’s” lyrics, how did it feel to sing it?
As soon as I figured out how I wanted this to sound, I started recording right out the gate. Singing it gave me a sense of closure and still feels deeply emotional singing it today. That likely won’t change anytime in the future.
What do you hope that people will get from the song?
I think it’s super special to me because it was made for people like me and my family who’ve lost someone to suicide. The effects it has on those it leaves behind are permanent and can make you a completely different person than before, especially when it’s someone very close to you. I think this subject matter hits very close to home for too many people, and it’s important to remember that it’s not always in our control.
ColdWards
What do you think it will be like to sing it live?
Oh, this is for sure gonna be a cool one to do live. Definitely top 3.
You did a beautiful job on the vocals as well as in the video. How do you feel you have changed as a vocalist from the first releases to “Sunflower?”
I think this one just makes me love the different directions we can take musically. ColdWards can definitely be flexible, and I love that all the way. We all vibe well with each other and everyone is generally on the same page creatively.
Given that we are in the Thanksgiving season, what are you grateful for?
I’m grateful for family and friends, and everyone that’s been in touch this crazy past year.
How do you think 2025 is going to shape up for the band? Is there anything that you feel like you would like to accomplish or see happen for ColdWards?
I think ColdWards has a lot in store for 2025. ‘Sunflower’ was a good one to finish off 2024 with, and we’ve really grown together as artists. It’s always awesome feeling like everyone’s on the same wavelength and I hope we continue to improve together in the new year.
